Out of sight, out of
mind
What happens to employees when they are out of work?
Implementing a Return-To-Work (RTW) program often meets with resistance.
“There are no light duty jobs, it’s too costly to implement,
the employee will hurt himself again, the employee will refuse the offer
or be disgruntled” are just some of the many objections employers
raise about RTW programs.
It’s easier to let the employee stay home – out of sight,
out of mind. Yet, it is impossible to drive down Workers’ Comp costs
without a RTW program. As an employer, you are paying the cost of having
your employee stay at home. It impacts your Experience Mod. To understand
just how much, take an existing claim, determine how much was paid in
indemnity, take out the indemnity and see the effect it will have on your
Mod. The results can be startling.
Consider also the effect on your employee. Very quickly, the employee
can get out of the normal cycle of work, change habits, and lose motivation.
He or she fills their life with other duties – picking up the kids,
running errands, cooking, etc. The employee develops a disability attitude,
gets worse, depression and frustration often set in and the employee heads
off to an attorney, driving up your costs even further.
Being out of work is a health hazard. Studies show that those employees
who stay out of work get far more medical treatment than those who return
to work. They also reveal that 95% of employees should be back to work
by the fourth day and if they are out for more than 12 weeks, there is
only a 50-50 chance they will return to work.
According to the American Medical Association, work is therapy. People
get better faster when they are moving around and when they feel productive
and good about themselves. A cable company had an installer who was injured
on the job. He was extremely talented and did the job more efficiently
than anyone else on staff. The company decided to have him accompany other
employees on installations and lend his expertise. This not only strengthened
the company’s capabilities, but also was a boost to the employee’s
self-esteem and commitment.
RTW programs not only make economic sense but are also a strong statement
to your workers that they are valued. Finding good employees is a challenge
for most employers. RTW is a way of keeping them.
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